


Say What?

by twitch



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bickering, Coffee Shops, Gen, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pre-Slash, Surprise Gifts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-08-31 11:03:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8575825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twitch/pseuds/twitch
Summary: Startled out of his thoughts, hands frozen in mid-lift to his head, he was taken by the sharp tone, loud enough to be heard over the noisy patrons and servers. At least he decided it was the tone. The accent was something of a surprise. It muddled the words that it took him a few seconds to understand what he said. At least understand most of what he said.
- Or, when a hat is about to be "borrowed" for the sake of surviviving the rain.
Canadian-ism within.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly inspired by a couple of comments I shared with someone talking about the joys of Canadian-isms. One certain canadian-ism didn't come up and I was determined to get it into a fic. Surprisingly the idea came up pretty quick and I wound up with a short modern college fic.

November weather was a fickle beast. Midday sun could be belied by blustery winds to make the wind-chill drop several degrees. The denim jacket worn early afternoon wasn’t nearly adequate by evening. Waking up before the sun was downright cold that a winter jacket was very tempting but would be too much by mid-morning.

More surprisingly was how convenient gloves and scarves became during those bouts of cold brought on by the windstorms and autumn rain.

The leaves were plastered to the sidewalk, the downpour unrelenting. In the coffee shop refuge was found in sweets and sweeter drinks. Kylo was attempting to look validated with schoolwork and his third coffee but he didn’t want to spend all his week’s petty money for shelter from the rain.

He grimaced to the grey sky beyond the spattered windowpane. The sealing needed some work, a draft drifting into his two-seater booth. He’d spread his books out over the whole table but it was late enough in the day to know that he should find a more respectable place to work. It helped that he needed to check on some books that his professor cited on his bibliography.

His first move had been to stretch across the table for a book ready to fall over onto the next chair. 

When he did he spotted the grey wool on the other bench seat.

Already pushing himself up, however across, he stood and crossed to the other side. He’d been at the booth for two hours, hadn’t seen the previous occupant at all. The proper thing would be to turn the item into the staff to hang onto should its owner return.

Good intentions became selfish when he picked up the wool hat. 

He only wore his sweater to the shop. He’d taken the sun as a good omen, not considering the thick grey clouds at all. It was his only clean sweater at the time, his hoodies either dirty or hidden in the mess of his room. The good thing was the sweater did have pockets so at least his hands would stay somewhat dry and warm. 

His hair was another issue. A soaked issue after the twenty-minute walk back to the campus library.

Black was his colour but he was willing to make an exception for grey this time. He normally preferred dark shades but this was a slate grey with blue trim. It was thick enough to be warm even in the middle of winter so surely it would hold up against the rain too.

“Hand over the toque.”

Startled out of his thoughts, hands frozen in mid-lift to his head, he was taken by the sharp tone, loud enough to be heard over the noisy patrons and wait staff. At least he decided it was the tone. The accent was something of a surprise. It muddled the words that it took him a few seconds to understand what he said. 

At least understand most of what he said.

Kylo turned around, about to ask what he wanted, but the answer was given by the other man snatching the hat from his hand. “That is mine.” He faced a redhead, who in all honesty, looked far more colour coordinated with the grey and blue. It made his hair brighter in contrast and his eyes pronounced.

The bite of temper that he first was greeted by was gentled a fraction. He still looked irked but was mostly placated by finding his missing hat. Fighting back a sneer Kylo shoved his hands into his pockets. “I was just about to give it to one of the servers.”

The redhead made a doubtful noise. 

Exited as quickly as he arrived.

The following week, deciding to claim a coffee before his dreadfully early morning lecture, he entered the coffee shop, joining the bleary-eyed to get a dose of caffeine.

He was barely aware of who he stood in front of when it was finally his turn to be served. It showed just how familiar a presence he was that his drink was automatically punched in without request. 

“Oh, Kylo! - There’s something for you before you go.”

Blinking hard in attempt to wake up, he stood up straighter, watched as Rey bustled towards the staff area beyond the immediate serving section. When she returned she thrust something into his hand, called for the next person, only remembering at the last minute to clarify what it was he held.

“Someone dropped it off with Jessica, said that you left it behind.”

He wandered down to where the drinks were being doled out to waiting customers, vaguely listening to Rey and the drink orders being shuffled out.

The black and red wool hat in his hands was of more interest, curiosity waking him up better than coffee.


	2. A Month Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Putting a name to a toque. Or a winter hat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Intended to write a Christmas tribute and wound up writing Kylo being Kylo, minus the Christmas spirit.

November had come and passed. December brought about a chill that couldn’t be ignored by sweatshirts. Kylo had finally relented to the fact that he needed his winter jacket. He went between shoving his hands into his jacket pockets or pulling on too small gloves from his high school days. They didn’t even come down to his wrists and even the fingers were too tight. He knew he should buy a new pair but all he did was cut the fingers off and deal with the numbness.

 

He did wear the black and red wool hat. All the time. It was loose and big enough that when he positioned it properly he could cover his ears and the back of his neck. 

 

When Poe asked him where he got it he mentioned that he couldn’t remember.

 

Poe found that doubtful.

 

Kylo didn’t elaborate.

 

He soldiered on through December. It took him a few days to develop a routine, one that his friends weren’t too keen on. Ordinarily he started his day by going to the coffee shop to get his coffee on route to classes, if not to start his morning adequately caffeinated. His decision to change his coffee time to early afternoon was not appreciated. Starting the mornings without coffee meant that there was a two hour wait period before something resembling hospitable entered his personality. Kylo knew he could manage it, but whether anyone else could tolerate him wasn’t his issue.

 

His issue was getting to the coffee shop on time in the afternoons.

 

Thursday he had to dash to the coffee shop straight after his lab but most of the time he made it. The rest of the week his schedule was mostly open. There was some amount of eagerness to finally get himself a coffee but more than anything he was hoping to find him again. 

 

First he had to remember what time he had entered the shop that fateful day. 

 

Then he estimated how much time was enough time to warrant a customer could sit down and enjoy a drink or a sweet. Or both.

 

From there Kylo had deducted a probable time. When the first week didn’t come out with the results he wanted he adjusted a little. The next week he tried coming in ten minutes later. The following week he came in ten minutes earlier than his first projected time. Then he decided to just stick with the first time he settled on.

 

It was the Monday after the last week of actual classes that Kylo saw the redhead. Kylo saw him at the booth from the line-up. He tried to not rush Rey for his order but he didn’t want the opportunity to slip away from him. Luckily the man remained seated as Kylo approached the booth, their booth his mind provided, before sitting down on the opposite bench.

 

Kylo wore his hat as did he, the tufts of red hair sticking out from under the steel grey looking rather adorable. He set down his drink, a faint layer of foam clinging to his lips. “Can I help you?”

 

“Were you…” Kylo held onto his cup, fighting the urge to squeeze it. “Did you give me this hat?”

 

Drawing in a long breath, then exhaling with a sheepish nod, he straightened up. “Not directly, but yes. I made it.”

 

“You made it?” Ignoring his drink Kylo pulled his hat off, looked inside for a tag. Funny that he hadn’t noticed that previously, only recognising a rough point that might’ve been a seam. “So… what?” He snickered despite himself. “You knit?”

 

“It’s better than finding you stealing my toque another time,” he snapped. There was that funny word again, that Kylo vaguely recognised from their only other encounter. “And yes, I knit. Is there a problem with that?”

 

“N-n-no,” he stammered out on account of laughing, clamping his hand, finger-less gloves and all, over his mouth when he received a glare. “Even if it’s only something grandmas do!”

 

“Goodbye asshole,” he snarled, standing up and grabbing his drink.

 

“No, no.” Kylo kept on repeating the word between laughter, taking his drink in one hand and wrapping his other hand around his wrist, trying to get him to sit. “But why? There are so many better things to be doing with your time.”

 

He didn’t sit down despite his drink being set on the table. “Like playing mindless videogames? Watching some stupid television show?” 

 

“It’s fun,” Kylo countered, moving his cup into his free hand.

 

With a frown he sat down, motioning for his drink but Kylo didn’t give it back. Rolling his eyes he relented to the conversation. “Let’s focus on the element of mindless then. Because there are mindless activities and then there are fun activities. Mindless is the type of activity or hobby that doesn’t have any kind of merit.”

 

“And you’re saying television is mindless?” Kylo questioned, sipping on his coffee.

 

“Watching television can be fun, sometimes it’s good to be entertained after a bad day. But you can learn something from television if you choose to. Exercising, or doing a sport, that’s potentially mindless but you are using your body to keep it healthy. I suppose most things can be argued to have merit. For me knitting shouldn’t be ignored.” He narrowed his eyes on the laugh threatening to escape Kylo’s lips. “It’s practical and it can be used. I knit a toque and your head stays warm.”

 

Damn that word. Smiling he shook his head. “What is a toque? You keep repeating it and-”

 

“Oh.” Pale eyebrows lifted, distracted from the lecture he’d been issuing. “It’s a winter hat, wool or knit. It’s just the word used for it in Canada.”

 

“You’re Canadian.” Kylo grinned again. “Eh? Ow!”

 

He hadn’t expected hands, delicate knitting hands at that, to be harsh enough to smack him hard across his hand. Small gloves were no protection against the unexpected force. At the same time he recoiled his arm and the vee of shelter his arms had created had allowed the other man to take his coffee back. 

 

Taking a long sip, relaxing a fraction, he narrowed his eyes slightly. “I have never said that ridiculous word in my life, ever. Back to the subject on hand, there’s a practicality of knitting. I don’t mean stupid doilies or cozies for teapots or cups-”

 

“I’m sure you have a lovely collection of those at home,” Kylo interjected with a flutter of his eyelashes.

 

“You can knit a blanket and use a blanket. You can knit a scarf and keep warm.” Freeing one hand he flung a finger to point not at but against Kylo’s chest. “You wouldn’t have taken my toque, hat, if you didn’t want to stay warm or dry!”

 

Despite the attack on his person he kept smiling. “Please tell me you have other hobbies.”

 

“Do you want a list?” Sighing he counted off his fingers. “I run. I do watch movies and television, mostly when they have to do with military history, I volunteer-”

 

“Military history?”

 

He rolled his eyes, curling his fingers down to prop his chin up. “You mock me, you repeat me, you cut me off – do you really want me to keep talking? Or maybe I’m just better off taking my coffee to go.”

 

“No, it’s not that – this time,” Kylo admitted, deciding that being a little apologetic would be appropriated “It’s just that my grandpa is a WWII veteran.”

 

Lifting his head he looked less aggravated, tentatively curious. “Do you talk to him a lot? I mean, talk about what he did?”

 

“Not especially, but that’s my fault more than anything. I’ve never been overly interested in the subject but he does like talking about it.” Playing with his cup, biting his lip, Kylo eyed the redhead. “I know it’s finals, and then Christmastime, but if you want, I could ask if he has any free time in the new year. I mean, I know he has free time, but it’s more if you’d be interested in meeting him.”

 

“If you are mocking me again I will clobber you worse, but if you’re serious…” He looked down to his coffee, his hand pressed to the table. His fingers were still clenched, knuckles fidgeting. “If you are serious, absolutely yes.”

 

“Great, I’ll talk to my grandpa over the holidays and I’ll phone you to arrange a time.” Kylo reached for his pocket, pulling out his phone and sliding it across to him once he unlocked it. “Just put down your name and number and I’ll text you later.”

 

“I left my phone in my room so that’ll work out best.”

 

A few seconds later he slid it back. He was about to put it back in his pocket but he eyed the name for the newest contact, looked up skeptically. “Hux?”

 

“I’m not expressing my dubious thoughts about someone by the name of Kylo,” Hux pointed out, smirking when Kylo turned bemused. “How do you think I managed to get the toque to you? Had to find out your name somehow.”

 

“Wait until you try and puzzle out the naming scheme with my family. It gets worse.” Taking a last sip of his coffee, a long one to empty the cup, he slid his phone into his pocket. “Hope to see you around more.”

 

Hux sipped on his coffee, tilting his head to watch him stand. “How long have you been waiting around for me?”

 

Kylo blinked, chose not to answer, and vacated the shop.


End file.
